Preview — Fudoki
by Kij Johnson

Fudoki

Enter the world of Kagaya-hime, a sometime woman warrior, occasional philosopher, and reluctant confidante to noblemen--who may or may not be a figment of the imagination of an aging empress who is embarking on the last journey of her life, setting aside the trappings of court life and reminiscing on the paths that lead her to death.

For she is a being who started her journEnter the world of Kagaya-hime, a sometime woman warrior, occasional philosopher, and reluctant confidante to noblemen--who may or may not be a figment of the imagination of an aging empress who is embarking on the last journey of her life, setting aside the trappings of court life and reminiscing on the paths that lead her to death.

For she is a being who started her journey on the kami, the spirit road, as a humble tortoiseshell feline. Her family was destroyed by a fire that decimated most of the Imperial city, and this loss renders her taleless, the only one left alive to pass on such stories as The Cat Born the Year the Star Fell, The Cat with a Litter of Ten, and The Fire-Tailed Cat. Without her fudoki--self and soul and home and shrine--she alone cannot keep the power of her clan together. And she cannot join another fudoki, because although she might be able to win a place within another clan, to do so would mean that she would cease to be herself.

So a small cat begins an extraordinary journey. Along the way she will attract the attention of old and ancient powers. Gods who are curious about this creature newly come to Japan's shores, and who choose to give the tortoiseshell a human shape....more

Paperback, 316 pages

Published
October 1st 2004
by Tor Books
(first published October 1st 2003)

How have so few people read this book? I will have to pimp it all over Goodreads now because Fudoki is simply lovely.

This book is two stories rolled into one. In 12th century Japan, Harueme, an elderly princess, sits down to write a story that's just itching to get out: of a cat who's turned into a woman and a warrior and has the adventures Harueme never had. Harueme's memoirs intertwine with the story of the cat, without real boundaries between the two. This might be best described as historicaHow have so few people read this book? I will have to pimp it all over Goodreads now because Fudoki is simply lovely.

This book is two stories rolled into one. In 12th century Japan, Harueme, an elderly princess, sits down to write a story that's just itching to get out: of a cat who's turned into a woman and a warrior and has the adventures Harueme never had. Harueme's memoirs intertwine with the story of the cat, without real boundaries between the two. This might be best described as historical fiction, since the fantasy elements are all in the cat's tale and the cat probably doesn't exist, but there's enough ambiguity that it works well as historical fantasy too.

This was an unusual reading experience for me. I initially read the first few pages, decided it wasn't the thing for me at the moment, and set it aside, but then found myself thinking about it. And that's the way this book works. There's nothing flashy or in-your-face about it; it draws you in subtly, plays on your emotions without your realizing it, and you slowly come to realize just how good it is. I'm used to reading books through in a mad rush these days, but this is one that demands you slow down and read a little bit at a time. "Calming" is a good way to describe it.

The stories of both the princess and the cat are compelling, and the character development is quite good, especially with Harueme (the cat-woman is simpler, as cats are, and even in human form her personality resembles that of a cat). Harueme lives in a world of women, and her relationship with her attendant and best friend, Shigeko, is well-done. The writing is also good, and genuinely reads like the voice of an older woman who's learned a lot about life (rather than a younger author trying to sound wise and being trite instead). To quote an example that encapsulates Harueme's outlook on life, and made me smile (background: her uncle and cousin are upset about her rejection of a suitor):

"I knew they could not see me well through the screens, so I learned to slip a small notebook into my sleeve, to have something to read during these visits: if they had nothing useful to say, I saw little reason to attend carefully. I actually read all the way through the Diamond Sutra in this fashion, which I am sure did more for my soul than any remorse they might have hoped to engender."

Not flashy, but full of thought and humanity. And it also brings me to my last point, which is the setting. Johnson isn't Japanese, but you might not realize from the text; the book is clearly well-researched but the details stay in the background, subtly fleshing it out as needed. The setting feels three-dimensional, and never exoticized. The mythology is interesting and fits very well into the story; I knew I was hooked from the moment the cat encounters a dead woman's ghost trying to shake her body into wakefulness.

I'm not quite prepared to give 5 stars--maybe I need a little more flash, the kind of book that will bowl you over--but I am prepared to say that Fudoki is excellent. This is exactly the sort of thing I like--historical fantasy with a non-western setting, focusing on women and their relationships, and with cats--but I think it will appeal to a wider audience too. Now on to Johnson's other book.......more

Cats are too fierce for gods; they came godless from Korea many tens of years ago, and they worship no one. This is good, for they are free in ways men are not; but this is bad, because they are utterly alone in the world.

Fudoki is the story of a cat, told by a princess trapped in her rooms by old age, tradition and ill health. But like any great story, it is much more than the surface detail. It is about freedom and courage, love and friendship, conflict and poetry. Set in 11th Century Japan, Cats are too fierce for gods; they came godless from Korea many tens of years ago, and they worship no one. This is good, for they are free in ways men are not; but this is bad, because they are utterly alone in the world.

Fudoki is the story of a cat, told by a princess trapped in her rooms by old age, tradition and ill health. But like any great story, it is much more than the surface detail. It is about freedom and courage, love and friendship, conflict and poetry. Set in 11th Century Japan, at the height of the Heian period that was famous for the rigid formalities of court life, for the rise of the military caste, for the writing of classic monogatari epics, for the rise of Buddhist and Chinese influence on the Japanese culture. All of these historical facts are masterfully captured in the pages of Kij Johnson novel, combined with subtle fantasy elements, also typical of Japanese tales: ghosts, animal spirits, kami deities ( they are everywhere, in everything from a family's shrine to a dying cycad-palm on a beach in distant Satsuma province; and their voices are everywhere, all chattering or twittering or intoning at once ).

The term fudoki is used to describe self and soul and home and shrine, all in one to a cat , continuity and tradition and identity through stories. When a feral cat living in an abandoned residence sees her world destroyed in an earthquake and the subsequent firestorm, she loses her fudoki and is cast adrift on an epic journey that will gain her the title Kagaya-hime, the Cat Who Traveled a Thousand Miles.

The tale of Kagaya-hime is put down on paper as a journal of the last days in the life of Imperial Princess Harueme. Born under a thousand thousand rules, the princess finds solace and escape from her monotonous, cloistered existence in imagining the adventures of the little tortoiseshell cat.

The two stories weave around one another, giving meaning and purpose to each other, princess and cat becoming kindred spirits, sisters-in-arms, dream and reality walking side by side. As Princess Harueme recalls the loves and friendships that made her life endurable, so Kagaya-hime learns to abandon her loneliness, her isolation and to relate to the people, animals, and kami that are part of her story.

If you are looking for an action packed, edge of the seat thriller, this book most probably will not qualify. It is a poetic meditation, often infused with sadness, mostly contemplative and passive observation of the world. Both main actors are outsiders: Harueme is often forced to look at the world and converse with people from behind a privacy saving curtain, her every gesture and word subject to rules and interdictions; Kagaye-hime is isolated by her predatory instincts, her orphaned status and her fiercely protected independence.

The prose of Kij Johnson is a joy to behold, feelings and moods often reflected in nature's shifting landscapes, in the play of rain and wind and moonlight on formal gardens or majestic vistas. The depth of the research is impressive, detailing the aristocratic dance of the Heian nobility, the frankly very liberal courtship traditions of the period (where the women often had the liberty of inviting a favorite into her private chamber, regardless of marriage status), the cultural and social interactions ( Young men and women together in the moonlight breed poetry as oak trees breed mushrooms .

War has a special place in the story. Although the exclusive province of men, women experience it either remotely through the scars left on their brothers and lovers or directly when their house stands in the way of war bands. The research is again exhaustive: the armour, the weapons, the strategies, the economic implications, the extreme cruelty, and the ultimate pointlessness of the exercise, they are all part of the journey of Kagaya-hime. Well, Takase said, his tone measured, as if he were about to comment on an arrangement of irises. We will kill them. They will kill us. But it will be done. Go on, then. : this is one of the most chilling and succint discourses from a general before the battle I have ever read.

Religion is another aspect explored in the text, beside court manners and warfare. Harueme grows up in the animist tradition of old Japan: Is not everything filled with kami, every stick and rock and leaf? Perhaps I have been the first to recognize and worship this kami, but that did not mean it had not been there, lonely and hungry for attention, like a bored little girl. Now, so many decades later that I do not choose to count them up, I think there may be another truth to this - that the rock was worthy of worship because it had been worshiped - that every shrine in the world began as mine did, with someone's longing for something greater than herself. Kagaya-hime is herself led and transformed by kami spirits, wild and unpredictable, probably benevolent, just as likely indifferent to her fate. Animals, as higher life forms than rocks and twigs, share both language and social institutions with humans, not so much different here than in the fables of Aesop and La Fontaine.

Some references to events and characters from the previous Kij Johnson novel (The Fox Woman) are present here, but the two stories are largely self contained and can be read independently.

If I were to draw a conclusion to the novel, it would be about the importance of stories in defining our fudoki , of revealing who we are and what our place in the world is: Tales and memories, however inaccurate, are all we have. The things I have owned, the people I have loved - these are all just ink in notebooks that my mind stores in trunks and takes out when it is bored or lonely. It is in the recording of things, in our memories if nowhere else, that makes them real. ...more

Fudoki by Kij Johnson. I have to admit that I picked up the book because the cover illustration is of a Japanese warrior cat woman.

The story is set in a Japanese myth-influenced universe and revolves around Kagaya-hime. She may be a woman. She's sometimes a warrior or a philosopher or even a reluctant friend. She may truly be a cat or perhaps is a figment of the imagination of a dying princess.

The tale moves between the princess who might be making it up and writing it down in the twilight of heFudoki by Kij Johnson. I have to admit that I picked up the book because the cover illustration is of a Japanese warrior cat woman.

The story is set in a Japanese myth-influenced universe and revolves around Kagaya-hime. She may be a woman. She's sometimes a warrior or a philosopher or even a reluctant friend. She may truly be a cat or perhaps is a figment of the imagination of a dying princess.

The tale moves between the princess who might be making it up and writing it down in the twilight of her life; and Kagaya-hime, the cat woman.

She was a cat living with a clan. She had her own fudoki - an oral history of all the female cats in her clan. A fire kills all the cats so she loses her tale, her fudoki. And without a tale, she is no one. She cannot join another fudoki without losing herself so she chooses to walk along the Tokaido road because it, unlike her, knows where it's going. She only recognised that the Tokaido had a direction, a meaning, and this made it unlike her.

Along the way she meets the kami of Japan, Gods who in their curiosity about this creature new to Japan, give her a human shape. Not a cat but not quite a woman either. Her nature is that of a cat. Her eyes see further, her ears are sharper. She hunts and kills like a cat.

She does not understand the change or why it has happened, only that it has. So she journeys along the road and all the while the princess writes and breathes her life away. The end is perhaps the surprise and you get to decide how much of a choice we all really have in the vast scheme of the universe. Do we walk freely or are we sometimes nudged along paths because at the end of the path there is one waiting who has a great need for us. And we might not have chosen that path on our own.

Fudoki is a tale of two journeys perhaps. It's looking in the mirror of the Other and perhaps seeing onself truly. The prose is elegant. It's moves along the pages with a feline grace. There are sentences and paragraphs that strike chords deep inside and I think we will all see something of ourselves in the cat or the princess or both.

"What are these voices?""The gods," the kami said. "The eight million gods, speaking all at once.""Are they all roads?""That would be a lot of roads. No. They are peace. War. Rice, barley. A thousand forges, ten thousand gates. This lake, that pond, the other river... A tree, all trees, a forest, all forests...""How can there be so many of you, and I have never met a god before this?""How would you know if you met one? You cats live in a cat-shaped world...""And now I am not even a cat," she said bitterly."You are no more and no less than you ever were," the kami said. "You lost nothing that was yours in the first place."

and in the end ..."Who says you are on a different road than you were," the kami said. "There are a lot of roads, and they go everywhere. Some of them can't be seen. You are coming to the end of this one.""But then what?" she said, her eyes filling with tears."You will settle down. make a new fudoki.""Alone?"...."When's the last time you wre alone? You tale is a thousand long already - men, women, horses...."

She opened her mouth to speak, but a thought came to her and she said nothing, her mouth gaping open, forgotten. "I never tried," she finally said. "I wept and complained and mourned, but I never thought... But why?"You needed a home. Could a cat come a thousand miles?....""Did I come here or was I summoned?" ....

In the end I loved the book perhaps because of the cat or maybe it was the journey and the way it played out in the end. It's a book I see myself re-reading again and again....more

First, I have to say, that jacket description is riddled with so many small inaccuracies about this story that I was tempted not to include it. They aren't fundamentally important inaccuracies -- though it is very important to realize that the "she" referred to at the start of the second paragraph is Kagaya-hime, not the "aging empress" who isn't an empress at all -- but it bugs me now that I've read the story to see how wrong it is. Ah well, moving on.

This is a wonderful book, sure to appeal toFirst, I have to say, that jacket description is riddled with so many small inaccuracies about this story that I was tempted not to include it. They aren't fundamentally important inaccuracies -- though it is very important to realize that the "she" referred to at the start of the second paragraph is Kagaya-hime, not the "aging empress" who isn't an empress at all -- but it bugs me now that I've read the story to see how wrong it is. Ah well, moving on.

This is a wonderful book, sure to appeal to fans of Patricia McKillip and Catherynne Valente, though it's more accessible than either of their work. It's very much rooted in the myths of Japan, and while I don't know a ton about the time period, nothing of what I do know was contradicted by what Johnson wrote, so I am assuming that she captured the era (Heian-era Japan I believe) with some degree of accuracy. Like in McKillip and Valente's work, this is not fantasy that lovingly details a set of rules for its magic system; it is fantasy where there are gods and there are humans and there are animals and the lines between these things are not sharp at all, where anything can happen and no one is much surprised when anything does. Logic plays a role, but it's dream logic, and the worst error to commit is in assuming that any other being's motivations match our own.

But what made this book brilliant (and caused it to be nominated for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award) is the way in which it is fundamentally a womens' fantasy. The fudoki of the cats is entirely female; there is no place for males, and none of the fudoki cares to even know the names of the toms that fathered their kittens. Harueme (this would be the aging noblewoman narrating Kagaya-hime's tale, half-sister to the former Emperor Shirakawa) also lives in an almost entirely female world, where women have husbands and lovers but their days are spent hidden from male sight (and even the seductions take place with an eye to maintaining the illusion that no man can see their faces). Harueme loved her half-brother, and reminisces about her soldier-lover Domei, but the most important relationship she has is with her attendant, Shigeko. The novel even acknowledges that women menstruate -- I'm pretty sure I can count on one hand the SF/F novels that do that -- and there are elaborate (historically-based, I assume) codes of conduct built around that simple fact of life. It's a novel about women's issues: family and home and place in a society when all of those things are rigidly proscribed.

It works on a pure fantasy level too, with the cat-transformed-into-a-human element and the presence of the kami (which are a whole class of gods, not the name of a specific god as the jacket implies) and even a small war of revenge that leads to a seige; and I'm pretty sure it works as historical fiction, though as I've said I don't know very much about the time period so I can't attest to its accuracy. But it will linger in my memory because it shows a slice of life fantasy novels too often forget, not with any particular message, but just because these are stories that rarely get told. I wish there were more novels like this....more

It took me a full 120 pages to finally get truly interested in this book. It's jut so very slow. Now, it's meant to be. It's about a dying old woman who, while writing a fictional story, is contemplated her life. From the very beginning there was a lot to think about, but I was honestly bored. However, once Hime becomes human things pick up a little...or maybe I had finally just adjusted to the slow pace.

But once I got past the slow pace, I was really impressed with this as a contemplation on pIt took me a full 120 pages to finally get truly interested in this book. It's jut so very slow. Now, it's meant to be. It's about a dying old woman who, while writing a fictional story, is contemplated her life. From the very beginning there was a lot to think about, but I was honestly bored. However, once Hime becomes human things pick up a little...or maybe I had finally just adjusted to the slow pace.

But once I got past the slow pace, I was really impressed with this as a contemplation on place—the idea of one's social place, place as a physical location and the intersection of these ideas that construct our sense of ourselves (Fudoki). Harueme is a princess—daughter, grandaughter, sister and aunt to emperors. But this same high rank (place in society) is a prison of sort, keeping her in her place dreaming of being free, of seeing the world and new places. She is never allowed to escape her place, physical or cultural. While simultaneously, Hime is a cat who has lost her Fudoki, her place and therefore the sense and understand of self that it provided. She spends the whole book looking for a place to be her and her own.

If you're looking for a contemplative read and have any interest in 11th century Japanese culture I recommend picking this one up. ...more

This is an extraordinarily beautiful book, written in clear, sweet, lyrical prose that I found so calming, I could only read it before bed. (A bizarre quirk of mine, perhaps? But I tried to read this over breakfast one morning, and found my thoughts - racing ahead to anticipate the day - completely unsuited to the gracefulness of the prose, and so I made it a bedtime-only read.)

There are two stories in this book - that of the elderly Princess Harueme, and that of Kagaya-hime, a cat who takes onThis is an extraordinarily beautiful book, written in clear, sweet, lyrical prose that I found so calming, I could only read it before bed. (A bizarre quirk of mine, perhaps? But I tried to read this over breakfast one morning, and found my thoughts - racing ahead to anticipate the day - completely unsuited to the gracefulness of the prose, and so I made it a bedtime-only read.)

There are two stories in this book - that of the elderly Princess Harueme, and that of Kagaya-hime, a cat who takes on a woman's shape for reasons that she does not understand. In the beginning the tales are separate - Harueme writes Kagaya-hime's tale to occupy her as she prepares to leave the Emeperor's palace and go into a convent to die - but somewhere along the way they begin to weave together. The blurring of boundaries between the two women's tales is masterfully done, and not every segue is apparent until you're deeply inside the thoughts and feelings of the opposite woman to the one with whom you began. "We" and "I" become loaded terms that pull you, as the reader, into the text as well - the book itself loses its boundaries, and the tale becomes a living thing that encompasses all female experience.

That said, the subject matter is not dainty, or sheltered, or female by the measure of any particular trope. Princess Harueme loves beetles and mice, loved to draw the wings of birds as a child, has read as much about war as she can lay her hands on. Kagaya-hime travels long distances, defends herself when attacked, hunts and comforts and fights, on her own and with others. Between the two tales we see the measure of a woman as defined by convention, and the measure of a woman defined by herself.

And the ending - oh, the ending is exquisite, and I put down the book and just smiled happily into empty space when I was done. Such a lovely, lovely book....more

I cannot remember who it was who recommended this novel to me, so I will just have to thank the happy serendipity which caused my eye to fall upon it while I was pottering around in the Forbidden Planet in London, and made me pick it up. The prose is a delight--vivid and subtle and precise--full of insights which are sharp without ever being overstated. Johnson also manages to interweave the two main strands of the story incredibly well--of Princess Harueme, old and slowly dying, and of the cat-I cannot remember who it was who recommended this novel to me, so I will just have to thank the happy serendipity which caused my eye to fall upon it while I was pottering around in the Forbidden Planet in London, and made me pick it up. The prose is a delight--vivid and subtle and precise--full of insights which are sharp without ever being overstated. Johnson also manages to interweave the two main strands of the story incredibly well--of Princess Harueme, old and slowly dying, and of the cat-turned-woman, Kagaya-hime. They are never made truly distinct from one another, flowing from Harueme's story to Kagaya-hime's and back again. In the hands of a lesser writer, such a story-telling device would be confusing, but Johnson makes it work incredibly well for her. This is apparently the successor to a previous novel, which is definitely going on my to-look-for list....more

Fudoki is an entrancing fantasy set in medieval Japan. Johnson skillfully interweaves the reminiscences of an aging princess with the tale the princess is writing of a woman turned into a cat, who may or may not exist outside the princess's imagination. The language is exquisitely precise, with never a wasted word, and the portrayal of medieval Japan brilliantly vivid.

I can't seem objective about this book and I won't even try. Fudoki is a great dang book about cats and the people who love them.

The novel follows two stories. First is the story of an elderly Japanese princess with lung cancer, in feudal times, as she comes to terms with her death and muses on her life. She reflects back on the servants she has lived with, the people she has loved and the way her life had lead down. It's quiet and reflective, in the way that any good book about someone who is dI can't seem objective about this book and I won't even try. Fudoki is a great dang book about cats and the people who love them.

The novel follows two stories. First is the story of an elderly Japanese princess with lung cancer, in feudal times, as she comes to terms with her death and muses on her life. She reflects back on the servants she has lived with, the people she has loved and the way her life had lead down. It's quiet and reflective, in the way that any good book about someone who is dying should be. There's nothing amazing or special to be said here, it isn't a literary masterpiece, it's just a story of an old lady winding down for the big nap as she writes her memoirs.

Then there's the second story. The one I can't be objective about. The princess's diaries, it turns out, are the stories she writes of a cat who lost her family. Distraught, she becomes a woman and a warrior, because as a cat she is nothing. It's the most dang cat thing I've read, all the way through. Reading with my cats alternating between wrestling over my legs and purring on my chest only added to the cattery. Such cat.

I loved that this book was very female. One story is about how a woman can be defined through culture; the other a woman defined through nothing but her own actions. In the world of cats, male cats have no real cultural purpose. In the world of humans, we never interact with a single man. It disappointed me a bit that the character of Domei is just talked about, and in some chapters to extreme lengths, rather than given any stage time. It's only a disappointment because in reference, Domei sounds so interesting but oh well.

Sadly, the book isn't really that great, if I'm honest. The first fifty to a hundred pages are fantastic and then... things just sort of keep happening for a bit and then there's a perfectly adequate ending that... well, it just happens. It's not a bad book by any means, and if you already like cats then dang read the heck out of this, but otherwise it's just... there....more

Ancient Japan fascinates me and I can't think of a more interesting time that Heian-kyo, 11th century in Japan's old capital now known as Kyoto.

While this story takes place in late Heian - 1129, I believe the author mentioned - it has all the charm and cultural nuances one would expect. Sei Shonagan finds her name in these pages, as does Murasaki Shikibu. We read about ancient Japanese marriage customs and war and seiges. We learn about the life of the gods that govern and of times of hardship.Ancient Japan fascinates me and I can't think of a more interesting time that Heian-kyo, 11th century in Japan's old capital now known as Kyoto.

While this story takes place in late Heian - 1129, I believe the author mentioned - it has all the charm and cultural nuances one would expect. Sei Shonagan finds her name in these pages, as does Murasaki Shikibu. We read about ancient Japanese marriage customs and war and seiges. We learn about the life of the gods that govern and of times of hardship.

We follow the life of a cat who suddenly finds herself in woman-form on a quest though she does not yet know it because she is just 'nothing and no one'. This is also a tale of an old Heian princess as she slowly fades away from this world to the next, some unnamed tumor growing inside her killing her a bit day after day.

It is a sweet story of life, loss, and home and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved reading about Kagaya-hime (even if her name is so similar to Kaguya-hime that I kept thinking of the moon!) and of Harueme, the 70+ year old princess scribbling away her last days in her journal before she finally moves on. A recommended read! ...more

I was a little disappointed after reading this book because I had first read The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson and the voice of the narrative was so different. What I had liked most about The Fox Woman was the way it was written: very wistful and almost romantic while still remaining mystical and supernatural. I also loved the poems written by each of the characters. None of that was in this sequel.

When I first started to read, the tragedy that occurred to the tortoiseshell cat drew me in and I wantI was a little disappointed after reading this book because I had first read The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson and the voice of the narrative was so different. What I had liked most about The Fox Woman was the way it was written: very wistful and almost romantic while still remaining mystical and supernatural. I also loved the poems written by each of the characters. None of that was in this sequel.

When I first started to read, the tragedy that occurred to the tortoiseshell cat drew me in and I wanted to know more and wanted to see what would happen to the cat. However, once she transformed into a woman, I lost my desire to continue reading for a good part of the book(I did continue, though). What had made me sigh in disappointment was the fact that once she had been turned into a human, in what was (sort of) meant to be a punishment or road to understanding, everything that she needed just magically appeared. A farmer's wife asked if she carried needles, and suddenly she did. Often things would appear out of no where even if she didn't even realize that she had needed them because she had never been near humans and didn't know about these things. Knives, a sword, a bow and arrows, needles, a horse, servants...she did not ask for them and didn't know she needed them, and yet they were magically provided. Now, at the very end of the story I realized the reason why these things magically appeared, but it was still distracting every time it happened until the point in the story where the reason is hinted at (at least for me). As a reader, I felt that too many things were being provided to her so freely, especially if the one who turned her into this form was seemingly upset with her. I expected a little more hardship, I suppose. Otherwise, the tortoiseshell's story was very engrossing and I read it mainly for the cat.

However, mixed in with the story of the cat is the story of the court woman writing the cat's story. In the beginning of the book, I didn't really want to read about the court woman. Slowly over the course of the book, I began to want to know more and more about her. In the end, I ended up wanting to skip the parts with the cat to see what would happen to the court woman. I ended up being fascinated by the rules a court woman from that time period in Japan had to live by.

Overall, this was a very good book, but for me it definitely lacked a bit in the middle....more

This was a lovely little tale. I can tell that it's not a favourite, because I didn't devour it or feel any need to be completely immersed in the novels, but it was lovely.

The way that Johnson flicked between the tale of Kagaya-hime, Harueme's present life, and Harueme's past, was wonderfully done and it never confused me. There's nothing more irritating than an author writing a story in this convoluted way, but not having the skill to do it well.

The relationship between Harueme and Shigeko wasThis was a lovely little tale. I can tell that it's not a favourite, because I didn't devour it or feel any need to be completely immersed in the novels, but it was lovely.

The way that Johnson flicked between the tale of Kagaya-hime, Harueme's present life, and Harueme's past, was wonderfully done and it never confused me. There's nothing more irritating than an author writing a story in this convoluted way, but not having the skill to do it well.

The relationship between Harueme and Shigeko was beautifully written and Johnson perfectly depicted the strong bond of female friendship and love. Oh, and the writing was goddamn perfect.

There's nothing I can pick out that I disliked about this book, it just didn't have that "wow" factor to make it a favourite. But it was a wonderful book about life, friendship, family, love, and a cat....more

One of the few times I've been equally enthralled by two entwined narratives, instead of skipping through to read about my favorite character. In historical Japan, a cat loses the story of her bloodline, and must deal with her grief when she is turned human; an empress is dying, and begins writing her own tale.

I've also found Johnson to be one of the few convincing Western writers of an Asian perspective.

I’m not usually big into fantasy, particularly not ones involving court life, but I am a real sucker for any story involving cats, especially if that cat is a tortoiseshell, since I’m the proud kitty mommy of a talkative tortie. This book didn’t just not disappoint me, it blew me away with two side-by-side, related by different, thoughtful tales.

I had no idea when I picked up the book that the empress would figure into the story quite so much. At first I was a bit irritated that she was a) gettiI’m not usually big into fantasy, particularly not ones involving court life, but I am a real sucker for any story involving cats, especially if that cat is a tortoiseshell, since I’m the proud kitty mommy of a talkative tortie. This book didn’t just not disappoint me, it blew me away with two side-by-side, related by different, thoughtful tales.

I had no idea when I picked up the book that the empress would figure into the story quite so much. At first I was a bit irritated that she was a) getting 40% to 50% of the storytime and b) rambling off from one thought to another like elderly people tend to do. But I stayed patient, and I learned that there was more to the empress than met the eye and also that the two stories were actually informing each other. Kagaya-hime’s story shows everything the empress had secretly wished for her whole life, and the empress’s life translated into how Kagaya-hime felt trapped in her human body. It’s artfully done in a subtle way, which is part of what makes it so beautiful.

Kagaya-hime goes from a sad lost kitty with burned paws to a warrior woman, allowed along on a quest for revenge by a moderately elite rural family. She is able to earn respect from the men as a warrior because as a cat she sees no reason not to hunt or defend herself. She is a woman but no one ever took her claws away (though they may be arrows and knives now, instead of claws). Thinking of her is empowering to the empress, who always had an interest in war and politics but was forced to remain literally behind screens in gorgeous gowns that are hard to move in. It’s interesting to note that while the empress may be jealous of Kagaya-hime’s ability to do what she wants and defend herself, Kagaya-hime herself is unhappy because she simply wishes to be a cat again. It is the conclusion to Kagaya-hime’s story that allows the empress to see a conclusion to her own story (her life) that will ultimately make her feel fulfilled.

The details of ancient Japan were clearly meticulously researched. Johnson smoothly writes about the outfits, land, and battles as if she was there for them herself. The information never comes through as an info dump but instead is something that simply is, that the reader learns about naturally just by venturing into Kagaya-hime and the empress’ world. This is what knowing your history inside and out before starting writing does for historic fiction. It makes history come to life.

Overall, this is a stunning piece of historic fiction the reading of which feels like slowly sipping a well-made matcha latte. Fans of historic fiction of all sorts will be engaged, those that love cats will be enthralled, and those with an interest in women’s history will be enamored and touched by how much things change and yet still stay the same for women. Recommended to all who think they might even possibly be interested in a piece of historic fiction set in Japan featuring an aging empress and a shape-changing cat.

You know, I'd never heard of this author 'til I was talked into buying the book by none other than the author's mother. Turns out Kij Johnson's parents own a used bookshop in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. They are two of the nicest and friendliest people you will ever meet. All the copies of her books that they have are also autographed by Kij Johnson. Initially, I bought the book because, well, I shop there often and didn't want to be, well...rude. I go there to buy 'used books'...with me so far? But,You know, I'd never heard of this author 'til I was talked into buying the book by none other than the author's mother. Turns out Kij Johnson's parents own a used bookshop in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. They are two of the nicest and friendliest people you will ever meet. All the copies of her books that they have are also autographed by Kij Johnson. Initially, I bought the book because, well, I shop there often and didn't want to be, well...rude. I go there to buy 'used books'...with me so far? But, the subject matter did sound interesting and I'm actually glad I bought the book. It's been a treasure and a delight to read....more

While reading it, i felt like i was watching the movie Genji Monogatari. But i enjoyed the movie, while this book was really boring! The dialogs on the book are very poor and very annoying! It was so hard to finish it! It's nice to read a book with jaI didn't like the book. I tried but I really didn't like it!

For me, the characters wasn't that kind that you really feel connected with it.

While reading it, i felt like i was watching the movie Genji Monogatari. But i enjoyed the movie, while this book was really boring! The dialogs on the book are very poor and very annoying! It was so hard to finish it! It's nice to read a book with japanese characters and also an historical one, but the author didn't even explain what means certain things, since japanese culture is very complex.Anyway, for me, it was a waste if time....more

I went into this knowing very little- I found the inside cover description pretty confusing, and even as I started I had a hard time understanding what "fudoki" meant. The story itself is really two twined together...Harume, the daughter and sister and aunt etc. of Japanese emperors, is dying, and in her old age she begins to think about the biggest moments of her life. As she remembers her own story, she begins to craft another, the story of a cat who is left witFudoki... what a different book!

I went into this knowing very little- I found the inside cover description pretty confusing, and even as I started I had a hard time understanding what "fudoki" meant. The story itself is really two twined together...Harume, the daughter and sister and aunt etc. of Japanese emperors, is dying, and in her old age she begins to think about the biggest moments of her life. As she remembers her own story, she begins to craft another, the story of a cat who is left without her clan/family and her "fudoki" which seems to mean her personal history, in a heritage sort of way, the story of her clan. Left alone, the cat begins to journey north from the capital, something Harume was never able to do.

In some ways it seems that she lives through the cat's adventures- something I understand as a writer myself. Sometimes it seems like people she knows are reflected in the cat's story. Together, both the stories entwine beautifully, but at the same time they are separate- it isn't one of those stories where everything is clearly allegorical. Both stories stand alone, and honestly I enjoyed them both.

My only problem was that towards the end, I began to tire of the endless flipping back and forth of hte stories... mostly because they were both reaching important points, and I felt like I was being interrupted. Overall, however, I really did enjoy the book. I didn't feel anyone but the two main characters was especially deep, but Johnson crafted a beautiful world with his words- or two worlds, I guess. I felt it was really well written, and I enjoyed it. A truly unique book- I would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction with a touch of magic or legend to it. Harume's story is historical completely, while the cat's has a bit of magic to it. Really enjoyable....more

Sometimes there are books that come along and happen to be just what you needed at that moment. That was Fudoki for me: the right book at the right time. I've read it with so much joy that, in the moments that I couldn't read, I was waiting for the time when I could pick it up again. It's been a while since a book has been that gripping.

The story is just the right mix between historical fiction and fantasy. The fantastic flows effortlessly from the spiritual beliefs and the folklore of Heian eraSometimes there are books that come along and happen to be just what you needed at that moment. That was Fudoki for me: the right book at the right time. I've read it with so much joy that, in the moments that I couldn't read, I was waiting for the time when I could pick it up again. It's been a while since a book has been that gripping.

The story is just the right mix between historical fiction and fantasy. The fantastic flows effortlessly from the spiritual beliefs and the folklore of Heian era Japan, while the story is tied into historical events through Harueme's recounts of her half-brother, Emperor Shirakawa, who ruled in the late 11th century. I would love to read more historical fantasy that incorporates the fantastical into the historical in this manner.

The characters were well rounded and their journey's - spiritual and actual - where a joy to read. I found Harueme's relationship with Shigeko especially touching. Also, I loved that the protagonists aren't your usual suspects: they're a cat-woman-warrior and a seventy-year-old princess....more

Impossible to read without comparing it to the author's other novel, The Fox Woman. Like that one, this is set in historical / fantastical Japan, and examines animal spirit in human form. Johnson's writing is just as atmospheric in Fudoki, though I found the characters and subject matter a little bit more grounded, and their stories more easily relatable. Perhaps this is due to the nature of Johnson's animal subject in this one: a cat. However in this one the animal story doesn't dominate as inImpossible to read without comparing it to the author's other novel, The Fox Woman. Like that one, this is set in historical / fantastical Japan, and examines animal spirit in human form. Johnson's writing is just as atmospheric in Fudoki, though I found the characters and subject matter a little bit more grounded, and their stories more easily relatable. Perhaps this is due to the nature of Johnson's animal subject in this one: a cat. However in this one the animal story doesn't dominate as in the other novel; in Fudoki the story of a aged & dying court princess takes up as much or more narrative space. Doesn't sound that appealing, does it? But it turns out it is. This is the kind of novel you reflect on for a few days after, or think of randomly even months later as an unexpected connection to the story appears in your mind.

I do have one small regret: even though they're not directly related, I wish I had read The Fox Woman a little closer to this one. There is some character cross-over, and I think it would have deepened my enjoyment of the story....more

This is a book I borrowed from the library but I WILL be buying it as well as The Fox Woman and I'll surely read it again and again.

It's a story within a story told in 'medieval' Japan. Johnson's writing style is crisp clear and vivid; allowing the reader to see, feel and experience both worlds in her book.

Her subtle style allows for both stories in the book to intertwine and mingle seamlessly. The stories are that of Princess Harueme is is old and dying. She decides to fill up the empty notebooThis is a book I borrowed from the library but I WILL be buying it as well as The Fox Woman and I'll surely read it again and again.

It's a story within a story told in 'medieval' Japan. Johnson's writing style is crisp clear and vivid; allowing the reader to see, feel and experience both worlds in her book.

Her subtle style allows for both stories in the book to intertwine and mingle seamlessly. The stories are that of Princess Harueme is is old and dying. She decides to fill up the empty notebooks left in her room before making her way to the convent and Kagaya-hime a cat who has lost everything and is turned into a human.

It's sounds complexed but Johnson's writing style never lets the reader find themselves confused. For me it's a brilliant read and I'll be reading it again; because I think it'll be even better the second time 'round.

Each character is solid and well developed which leaves you wanting to know/experience more, never minding the switch from one to the other. Love, love, lurve! This book is not meant to be read but experienced.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who lurves fantasy, magic and worlds within worlds....more

"Every cat is an echo of the first cat I knew, the little nun, Shisutako."

"And it was twilight one day in the ninth month, and the world was shades of dim purple, like my subtlest robes. The little nun stepped slowly off the veranda to a stone, and then to the round gravel of my courtyard, her fur taking on the same lilac tones as the air. She made her unsteady way toward the mossy shadows beneath a copse of red and white pine in the gardens. "Wait-" I said to her, but she was well beyond the so"Every cat is an echo of the first cat I knew, the little nun, Shisutako."

"And it was twilight one day in the ninth month, and the world was shades of dim purple, like my subtlest robes. The little nun stepped slowly off the veranda to a stone, and then to the round gravel of my courtyard, her fur taking on the same lilac tones as the air. She made her unsteady way toward the mossy shadows beneath a copse of red and white pine in the gardens. "Wait-" I said to her, but she was well beyond the sound of my voice, and had never attended me in any case. She paused for a moment at the copse's edge to carefully sniff some small bush; and then she stepped tidily into the darkness, and did not return."

I can't handle this book, everything about cats is making me cry.

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Finished now. The passage I quoted above is still the best part of the book. The first third was the best, but the tortoiseshell's storyline got pretty boring. I also was waiting to hear more about Domei, but it never happened. At the end I thought it was rather unsatisfactory, but I think she was going for a "we end up regretting more in our life than is ever resolved and you're not gonna get an epiphany with this book cause death isn't like that." I KNEW that, but I still wanted it. I wanted there to be some tearful gathering of old friends before going on the final journey.

At 4.5/5 stars, Fudoki is a entertaining and fascinating read. If you've enjoyed 'The Fox Woman', you will enjoy this book. The main character in question here is a cat rather than a fox. At first you wonder why she is on this journey, but the events that transpire along the journey make it interesting. The parts of the story from the Princess' point of view are also interesting and educational, though if I were a Princess in that era, I'd be bored due to the restrictions. Personally, I feel theAt 4.5/5 stars, Fudoki is a entertaining and fascinating read. If you've enjoyed 'The Fox Woman', you will enjoy this book. The main character in question here is a cat rather than a fox. At first you wonder why she is on this journey, but the events that transpire along the journey make it interesting. The parts of the story from the Princess' point of view are also interesting and educational, though if I were a Princess in that era, I'd be bored due to the restrictions. Personally, I feel the story would have done better without Princess' part of the story, it just didn't feel relevant to the story of the cat.

At the end of the story, the reason for the journey is revealed, and everything makes so much sense - so if you didn't like this book at first because of the seemingly pointless story, just KEEP READING ON and your patience will pay off. It was a strangely satisfying ending, and I was happy when mention of the kitsune appeared within the story (a nice nod to Kij's first book) Overall a enjoyable and satisfying book, highly recommended! ...more

Fudoki was an absolutely wonderful book. It took me a long time to read because it was that type of book--a slow, thought-provoking story with many layers of meaning--and I was so glad that I took the time to savor it.

So, this tale is set in medieval Japan and has its roots in Japanese mythology. There are several layers to the tale. It's not really a frame story, but more like a weave story in which two narratives are influenced by each other and comment (directly or indirectly) on the other sFudoki was an absolutely wonderful book. It took me a long time to read because it was that type of book--a slow, thought-provoking story with many layers of meaning--and I was so glad that I took the time to savor it.

So, this tale is set in medieval Japan and has its roots in Japanese mythology. There are several layers to the tale. It's not really a frame story, but more like a weave story in which two narratives are influenced by each other and comment (directly or indirectly) on the other story.

On one level, this is the tale of the princess Harueme, who is seventy years old and suffering health problems that she knows will kill her. She is preparing to leave the imperial court, where she has lived for decades while a variety of male relatives served as emperor of Japan. She has lived a life of restriction and decorum, but she has also bucked against her restraints through her interest in wildlife and biology and through various ways of acting out. In her last days at the imperial court, she decides to fill her empty notebooks with a story she creates herself.

Princess Hareume's story is about a tortishell cat who loses her home, family, and living history in one fell swoop. This cat, feeling lost and not knowing where to turn, begins to walk down the road and ends up on a de facto quest to regain her sense of belonging to a larger world. She occasionally hears spirits, or "kami," one of which is the voice of the road. Soon, the kami or some other influence causes the cat to become a woman, thus making her even more miserable. She's not quite a normal woman--there are magical aspects to her body and travels, and she retains many feline qualities, including and aloof nature and willingness to kill without hesitation. She lives and walks and fights without hope of recovering a sense of meaning or belonging, but as a reader I was hoping very much that things might work out for her in the end.

And while the princess writes, she comments on the story she's writing and how the parts of the cat's tale intersect with her own long experience. The two narratives entwine and interchange in intricate ways.

There were several really clever, thought-provoking twists at the end. I just thought that this was an amazing book filled through and through with details of Japanese culture, unusual perspectives and ideas, and interesting characters. It's philosophical, beautiful, and evokes pathos all at the same time.

And what was especially great about this book, at this particular point in my life, is that it was thoroughly and refreshingly adult. I don't mean "adult" as in naughty, but rather actually mature. This story deals with aging, loss, memory, legacy, and lingering grief--things that are more likely to be important to those who have grown up and experienced more of life.

The voice of Kij Johnson's Fudoki (and it's predecessor The Fox Woman) reminds me of reading the oversized Golden book of Japanese Fairy Tales given to me by my Japanese aunt — tales such as "Sima and The Big Hat" and "The Man Who Made the Trees Bloom" — with beautiful, full-page illustrations. Set in medieval Japan, with a touch of enchantment, Fudoki offers a shifting narrative: the first person account of a dying princess and the story she is telling about a tortoiseshell cat who turns into aThe voice of Kij Johnson's Fudoki (and it's predecessor The Fox Woman) reminds me of reading the oversized Golden book of Japanese Fairy Tales given to me by my Japanese aunt — tales such as "Sima and The Big Hat" and "The Man Who Made the Trees Bloom" — with beautiful, full-page illustrations. Set in medieval Japan, with a touch of enchantment, Fudoki offers a shifting narrative: the first person account of a dying princess and the story she is telling about a tortoiseshell cat who turns into a warrior woman.

The artful and delightful trick Johnson manages, in both books, is to escalate tension in the middle of the book sinking the reader more deeply into the story until it reaches its poignant end. Through the first half of Fudoki, while enjoying the voice and setting, I felt sure The Fox Woman (which shares the setting in mythical Japan) was the better book, but in the middle (where stories often flag) Fudoki hooked me. The story ended with grace and beauty. I now recall The Fox Woman provided a similar experience — it blossomed.

Recommended for anyone who: feels trapped by circumstance and longs for adventure and escape; enjoys Japanese fairy tales.

Writers, read this for: pacing (how to avoid the "sagging middle"); a great example of a shifting narrative and use of point of view (first and third)...more

I really wanted to like this book. It seemed to be precisely my style: cats, poetic prose, cultural backdrop, a bildungsroman--what more could I ask for? I ordered my copy online and anxiously awaited the day of its arrival.

Unfortunately, none of the reviews I had read on Goodreads (or anywhere else, for that matter) mentioned any warning about the content. Given the considerable amount, I'm surprised. Perhaps it doesn't affect other readers as much as it does me. I am left unable recommend thisI really wanted to like this book. It seemed to be precisely my style: cats, poetic prose, cultural backdrop, a bildungsroman--what more could I ask for? I ordered my copy online and anxiously awaited the day of its arrival.

Unfortunately, none of the reviews I had read on Goodreads (or anywhere else, for that matter) mentioned any warning about the content. Given the considerable amount, I'm surprised. Perhaps it doesn't affect other readers as much as it does me. I am left unable recommend this book to anyone-especially young adult readers.

Even as a married woman, the explicit sexuality made me skip paragraphs and pages, always hoping it would somehow clean up later in the novel. Unfortunately, no. Promiscuity rages through the lives of the narrator, Harueme, and the cat, Kagaya-hime. The zeal with which both refer to slaughter and bloodshed is surprisingly appalling. While I think the author's use of prose and the manner in which she approaches the characters' emotions and development is quite beautiful, it could have been written much more tastefully. This book was a let-down for me....more

I loved this book, probably because I have a thing for storytelling within storytelling and for a good bit of unexplained magic. This story is told both from the perspective of a cat who gets turned into a woman after a tragic fire (AKA Kagaya-hime) and from the perspective of a cloistered court woman named Harueme who is writing the fictional (or not fictional) tale of the cat. The cat becomes a strong warrior woman who defies conventions - the sort of woman whom Harueme would greatly desire toI loved this book, probably because I have a thing for storytelling within storytelling and for a good bit of unexplained magic. This story is told both from the perspective of a cat who gets turned into a woman after a tragic fire (AKA Kagaya-hime) and from the perspective of a cloistered court woman named Harueme who is writing the fictional (or not fictional) tale of the cat. The cat becomes a strong warrior woman who defies conventions - the sort of woman whom Harueme would greatly desire to be. The story centers around the concept of Fudoki, which are the tales the female cats tell one another and which Kagaya-hime sorely feels the lack of throughout the story. As a human-being/cat she feels she belongs nowhere.

The characters are beautifully realized and although the story switches between the elderly woman and the cat-woman as a reader I became hugely interested in both tales and didn't mind the switching. I like the way the story about the cat makes sense - obviously a cat feels no need to follow human convention and makes an excellent vehicle for a woman who perhaps feels as out of place as a cat in human society....more

Very good fantasy novel that winds back and forth between 2 stories; a cat who loses her home and family and then goes on a long journey, turning into a woman midway through, and the author of that story, a court princess who has never married and never left home. While she has had many lovers, she has only had one love. She is dying, and spends her last days unpacking both the physical and mental storage trunks of her life, as well as writing the story of the cat-woman. My description sounds veVery good fantasy novel that winds back and forth between 2 stories; a cat who loses her home and family and then goes on a long journey, turning into a woman midway through, and the author of that story, a court princess who has never married and never left home. While she has had many lovers, she has only had one love. She is dying, and spends her last days unpacking both the physical and mental storage trunks of her life, as well as writing the story of the cat-woman. My description sounds very fantasy, but actually this story reminds me of older Eastern tales or Ishiguro's Remains of the Day in the lyrical quality of the storytelling and the emphasis on what it means to be human, to be right, to be good, and to be loyal. It's not an easy read, but it is an absorbing one and well worth it....more

A fairly long and meandering tale that serves more to immerse you in the culture and history of 1100's Japan. Don't be fooled by all the material about the cat-woman story. That is a story told in a series of diary entries from an old dying princess that make up the entirety of this book. A little misleading but also good because I found myself drawn more to the narrator's(princess') story and voice than that of the ostensible main character. There is an author's note in the back with the booksA fairly long and meandering tale that serves more to immerse you in the culture and history of 1100's Japan. Don't be fooled by all the material about the cat-woman story. That is a story told in a series of diary entries from an old dying princess that make up the entirety of this book. A little misleading but also good because I found myself drawn more to the narrator's(princess') story and voice than that of the ostensible main character. There is an author's note in the back with the books that author took explicit inspiration from. Maybe I should check them out....more

I read this when I was much younger so I don't remember much about it. I did really like the story but what I remember most was thinking how similar it felt to reading a normal monogatari despite it being written in English. It was an unusual sensation and very interesting.

Kij Johnson is an American writer of fantasy. She has worked extensively in publishing: managing editor for Tor Books and Wizards of the Coast/TSR, collections editor for Dark Horse Comics, project manager working on the Microsoft Reader, and managing editor of Real Networks. She is Associate Director for the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, and serves as a finaKij Johnson is an American writer of fantasy. She has worked extensively in publishing: managing editor for Tor Books and Wizards of the Coast/TSR, collections editor for Dark Horse Comics, project manager working on the Microsoft Reader, and managing editor of Real Networks. She is Associate Director for the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, and serves as a final judge for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.

Johnson is the author of three novels and more than 38 short works of fiction. She is best known for her adaptations of Heian-era Japanese myths. She won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short story of 1994 for her novelette in Asimov's, "Fox Magic." In 2001, she won the International Association for the Fantastic in the Art's Crawford Award for best new fantasy novelist of the year. In 2009, she won the World Fantasy Award for "26 Monkeys, Also The Abyss," which was also a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula awards. She won the 2010 Nebula Award for "Spar" and the 2011 Nebula Award for "Ponies," which is also a finalist for the Hugo and World Fantasy awards. Her short story "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" was a finalist for the 2007 Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and World Fantasy awards. Johnson was also a finalist for the 2004 World Fantasy Award for her novel Fudoki, which was declared one of the best SF/F novels of 2003 by Publishers Weekly....more

“Cats have a sort of game they play when they meet. A player alternates between watching the strange cat and ignoring her, grooming or examining everything around herself - a dead leaf, a cloud - with complete absorption. It is almost accidental how the two cats approach, a sidelong step and then the sitting again. This often ends in a flurry of spitting and slashing claws, too fast to see clearly, and then one or the other (or both) of the cats leap out of range. The game can have one exchange or many - and is not so different from the first meetings of women.”
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“We ascribe meanings because it is our nature to do so..We can no more see a thing without searching for a meaning than we can see a snag in a robe without pulling on the loose thread.”
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